Rhachodesmus viridis (Saussure, 1859)

John Hollier, Edmund Schiller & Nesrine Akkari, 2017, An annotated list of the Diplopoda described by Aloïs Humbert alone and with Henri de Saussure, and the Diplopoda from Saussure’s Mexico expedition, Revue suisse de Zoologie 124 (2), pp. 203-224 : 221

viridis Saussure, 1859a: 326 [ Polydesmus (Rhachis) ].

Mexique, Tuxtla. Unspecified series.

Saussure (1860) gave a more detailed redescription of the ♂ without mentioning the ♀, but indicating that he had more than one specimen. The MHNG has two ♂ specimens in alcohol, labelled as types, under the name Rhachis viridis . These specimens have been transferred from the dry collection; both have the data label “Tuxtlant [sic], Mexique, M H de Saussure” and are obviously syntypes. Hoffman (1999) noted that a specimen in the NHMW, studied by Attems (1898), may also be a syntype. This specimen (Inventory number 8961, Acquisition number 1883.II.1), which was collected by Sumichrast and sold to the NHMW by Bilimek in 1883, is not part of the type series. This specimen, a ♂ lacking the gonopods, is probably associated with a microscopic preparation carrying gonopods, labelled as Rhachis viridis but without locality data, which might have been used by Attems (1898: 196, plate 4).

Rhachodesmus viridis (Saussure, 1859)